Guidance for congregations on new data protection rules

Mary McLeod, the Church’s Solicitor, answers some of the big questions surrounding this month’s change in data protection law.

FEATURE

CONGREGATIONS have become used to the existing law on data protection, which has been in force since 1998. This law is changing on May 25, when the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) comes into force. The Council of the European Union has said that “the processing of personal data should be designed to serve mankind” and with this lofty aim in view, the GDPR gives people more rights and protections in how their personal data is used by organisations.